LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Inside a former church on a suburban London street , a room has been designed to recreate the conditions found in Siberian salt mines .

CNN writer Anouk Lorie relaxes in Britain 's first salt cave , in Wandsworth , London .

The floor and walls are covered with a thick layer of natural sea salt while particles of dry rock salt are pumped into the room .

Welcome to an Eastern European style salt cave which claims to rid asthma and allergy sufferers of their breathing problems through `` salt therapy , '' also known as halotherapy .

With the sound of waves playing in the background and the sand-like mound of salt underfoot , the place could easily be mistaken for an exotic snow beach .

Before entering the salt chamber , visitors are required to wear a shower cap to cover their hair and shoes to preserve the salt 's purity .

During each hour-long session they simply sit back , relax and put their feet up while soaking up the saturated air and tranquil atmosphere .

Salt therapy claims to work by clearing the airways of mucus and reducing inflammation triggered by allergies to dust , pollen or pollution . Minerals including potassium and magnesium are said to clean out mucus blocking the airways .

The treatment is widely used in Eastern Europe and Russia , where people with chronic breathing disorders often spend two to three hours per day in underground salt grottos . The Russian government even approved `` salt caves '' for medical use in 1995 .

In the U.S. , the trend has been adopted in the Chicago area with the popular Galos Cave . Several spas in other parts of the country have also installed salt breathing rooms .

In 2006 , the New England Journal of Medicine published a study on patients with cystic fibrosis who used this kind of saline therapy for 48 weeks . The study found that it was a safe and effective additional therapy for patients .

The benefits of salt therapy were first discovered in the late 1800s when workers in Siberian salt mines were found to suffer from a surprisingly small number of respiratory problems .

Familiar with such treatments in her hometown , Sofia Benke from Hungary was therefore surprised when she moved to the UK two years ago and discovered there were no salt caves in the country .

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`` I was suffering from sinus problems and antibiotics did n't work . I had heard so many stories of how salt caves had treated friends ' problems , so I decided to open one in London , '' the 30-year-old told CNN .

The salt , which has no additives , is shipped in from Lithuania .

Benke 's patients vary from six-month-olds to 65-year-olds and most are asthmatic children who come in with their parents . Ideally , treatment lasts one to two weeks and patients need to be in the cave for one to two hours every day , Benke says .

The room 's temperature and salt concentration depending on the patients ' condition . The benefits are then said to last for up to 12 months . Each session costs around $ 56 and the first one is free .

Many of the patients have reported positive results . Twenty-eight-year-old yoga instructor Tish Webster , who has always suffered from hay fever and severe allergies to dust , told CNN she noticed results after three sessions .

`` I noticed first thing in the morning I was n't as congested as I usually am . Having now done ten sessions , I have n't yet taken an allergy tablet this year , which is incredible for me . ''

Despite the positive testimonials , the therapy has not yet been recognized by the UK 's National Health Service -LRB- NHS -RRB- and at least one study suggests the therapy should be used as a complementary therapy , not as an alternative .

Dr Elaine Vickers of Asthma UK , said : `` It 's currently impossible for us to say whether or not salt caves are beneficial for people with asthma . However , some people say they find them helpful .

`` Our advice to people with asthma is to follow the recommendations of your doctor or asthma nurse , and to keep them informed if you decide to try a complementary treatment such as halotherapy . ''

Other health practitioners say stopping medication like steroids for asthma and only opting for alternative care can be dangerous and counter-productive .

But , according to Benke , some of her patients have stopped medication , not because she urged them to . `` I would never do that , '' she said .

The reason for this is because their symptoms were no longer present after undergoing salt therapy , she said .

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A salt cave clinic in London says it can treat respiratory illnesses like asthma

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Treatment is based on a room recreating the conditions of Siberian salt mines

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The process is called salt therapy , also known as halotherapy